Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, AUG 12 (NPN): Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) has called upon the 23 elected ward councillors of the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) to take active responsibility for solid waste management, stressing that effective waste management must begin at the grassroots.
Addressing the media at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur on Wednesday, DUCCF president Zasivikho Zakiesatuo said the municipal elections held in Nagaland after two decades had placed greater responsibility on the newly elected councillors.
He said DUCCF had held several meetings on waste management and stressed that councillors must take the lead if Dimapur was to comply with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
On waste segregation, Zakiesatuo said the process should begin at the household and colony levels rather than being viewed merely as the establishment of a segregation plant. He said schools, institutions, government offices and all sections of society had a role to play.
“Waste segregation cannot succeed if it is left solely to the colony GBs and chairmen,” he said, urging councillors to conduct house-to-house sensitisation campaigns and work closely with colony-level leaders.
He said DUCCF representatives had visited various cities to study waste management systems and found that effective implementation had to begin at the grassroots.
Zakiesatuo also raised concern over penalties under the Solid Waste Management Rules, saying the fines were substantial. He said DUCCF had resolved that colonies should not be made to bear such penalties and that elected councillors should be accountable for their respective wards.
“We elected and chose them to represent us, so they must be responsible for their respective wards,” he said.
On biomedical waste, Zakiesatuo said the matter had been discussed by a coordination committee comprising the Urban Department, Rural Department, DMC, East Dimapur Town Council, Chief Medical Officer and PHE/PHED. He stressed the need for strict monitoring of biomedical waste, including syringes and other hazardous materials, and urged hospitals to follow prescribed disposal procedures.
He also appealed to councillors to set aside political differences and work collectively for Dimapur, assuring that DUCCF was ready to cooperate with the administration and municipal representatives.
On prepaid smart electricity meters, DUCCF joint secretary Dr Kahuka Sema reiterated three recommendations submitted to the State government following consultations with stakeholders. He said prepaid meters should first be installed in government offices, institutions and commercial establishments; electrical infrastructure, including transformers, cables, wires and poles, should be improved before wider implementation; and domestic consumers unwilling to adopt prepaid meters should be allowed to continue with postpaid meters.
Dr Sema thanked the State government for largely respecting the recommendations but expressed concern over continuing load shedding in Dimapur, particularly with examinations approaching. He questioned whether the benefits of prepaid meters were outweighing the difficulties faced by consumers.
On the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, DUCCF vice president Vikheto Chisho said the federation continued to seek repeal of the prohibition law. He said representations, including a petition to the Governor, had been submitted but no clear response received. DUCCF would seek a meeting with the State government before deciding its next course of action.
Chisho cited concerns over bootlegging and parallel markets, and also questioned the proposed electricity tariff hike, saying consumers were not receiving reliable services. He alleged that maintenance work often involved substandard materials, resulting in repeated breakdowns and sparking of overloaded lines.
“Taking money without providing proper service is unjust,” he said, adding that consumers would be more willing to pay for reliable electricity.
On the proposed hike in the residential sanitation fee (RSF), Chisho said residents were already dissatisfied with irregular waste collection in several colonies. He said DMC should have consulted GBs and colony chairmen before proposing the increase.
According to him, the sanitation fee had earlier been increased from Rs. 60 to Rs. 80 after appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer and was now proposed to be raised to Rs. 100.
He urged DMC to reconsider the hike and consult grassroots representatives, stressing that higher charges could not be justified without regular and adequate waste collection.
Chisho also called for greater unity among the elected councillors, saying they had left political affiliations behind to serve the public and should work collectively for Dimapur.